Do you need help with feral cats?
One of the less appealing features of life in rural France is the number of homeless cats living and breeding and fending for themselves without care or support. There is no well-funded umbrella organisation in France that can take responsibility for the situation, just a few national charities (notably the Brigitte Bardot Foundation and 30 million d’Amis) plus a number of small local associations which work to sterilise the cats and ensure that they are fed thereafter.
Why are there so many homeless cats in France?
There is no tradition of sterilising cats in French country areas. Populations were contained largely by natural selection and disposing of superfluous kittens. Although this is changing, sterilisation is expensive and beyond the reach of many people. Populations build up and disperse to other areas where they continue to breed.
What is the law regarding these cats?
The mayor (maire) of a commune is responsible for dealing with stray animals on his patch but the way in which the law is interpreted varies widely. Some communes have an arrangement with a refuge or shelter and any animals found wandering can be taken there though in practice this happens mostly with dogs. Others work with local associations to try to tackle the problem by TNR – trap, neuter, release – returning the cats where they were found. For many maires, sadly, this is a very low priority and few are prepared to devote much effort at all where cats are concerned. Nevertheless if you do need help with a proliferation of stray cats, the mairie should be your first port of call.
The maire’s legal obligations are only for animals found on public land; if the cats are on private property then he has no responsibility for solving the problem. However it is worth asking for help if you need it as if he can’t help directly then he may be able to direct you to people who can.
Feral cats on your property
If stray cats arrive in your garden or barn and you feed them then you are assumed to have taken responsibility for them. This doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help but the onus is on you to deal with the situation. It is very hard to turn away any starving animal – most of us just couldn’t do it – and if they need help we would give it and sort out the consequences later. If you encourage or allow the cats to stay on your property then you must be prepared to ensure that they are sterilised, not least because in a short space of time you would otherwise be living surrounded by a large, ever-expanding cat colony!
How do I get the cats sterilised?
If you need help trapping the cats and paying for their sterilisation the most likely source of help is one of the small local associations which exist throughout France with the primary purpose of sterilising stray cats, then finding homes for the more socialised ones, and releasing the truly feral cats, now safely neutered, back on their home territory. They also try to remove weaned kittens so they can be socialised in foster and then adopted. If you allow the cats to be returned to your land and will continue feeding them, then some associations will cover much of the cost of the surgery.
The easiest way to find cat rescue groups in your area is to enter Associations Chat into Google, followed by your department or nearest big town. This should bring up a list from which you can choose those nearest you. When you contact them make it clear that you are offering to have the cats returned to your property and that you will continue to give them basic rations. You may have to contact several associations and as they are staffed by volunteers sometimes a reply may be a long time coming. But persevere, ask your vet if they have any contacts, and use animal rescue and local community and expat groups on Facebook and other social media to ask for further possibilities.
If you have not been feeding the cats and cannot allow them to stay on your property (perhaps because you have cat-chasing dogs or the ferals fight with your own cats) then you should still contact local associations and ask for their help. They may be able to use TNR and relocate them elsewhere as barn cats.
Trapping a feral cat for sterilisation
A local association should be able to lend you a cat trap and show you how to set it. Be sure to sort out with them beforehand who will initially be paying the sterilisation bill. It is best to leave the trap unset but with the door open near to where the cats are fed. Move the food closer to the trap, and then inside it, over several days. When the cat is confidently eating food inside you can set the trap.
During this waiting period contact your vet and explain that you are bringing a feral cat to be sterilised when it is trapped. The vet will probably want the cat delivered when they open in the morning so the trap will have to be set early (not overnight) and baited with something attractive and strong smelling like a piece of sardine – only a mouthful or two as any more will make an anaesthetic dangerous.
A feral cat will be agitated in the trap so cover it loosely with a cloth to calm the cat down. Unless the association that is helping you requires the cat to be chipped to them just confirm that the vet will mark the ear to show that sterilisation has been done. It can stay in the trap for a couple of hours after collection until the anaesthetic has completely worn off before being released. Dissolving stitches will be used on females so there is no need for a return visit but if you can keep the cat confined (in a barn or outbuilding) for a couple of days before letting her go free, that would give her a chance to recover in sheltered surroundings.
A perennial problem
It is a very hard life for a female cat giving birth to litter after litter of unwanted kittens, particularly if she is homeless and is having to support and feed her family. The feral cat problem is not going to go away until it becomes easier and cheaper for individuals and communes to neuter their cats. Meanwhile assistance is at hand but sometimes perseverance and commitment are needed to locate the help available.
